Our Work

Work with the World Resources Institute and the Rights and Resources Initiative

The world's forests are being destroyed at a rate of 50 soccer fields every minute, accounting for 11 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions. A solution exists that is both cost-effective and available: deforestation rates are dramatically lower in forests where governments actively enforce the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities over their land.

Forests, especially tropical forests, are among the most important bulwarks against global warming. These natural resources store carbon, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Yet across the global tropical forest belt, forests—even protected forests—are being felled for pulp and paper and to make room for soy fields, cattle pastures and palm oil plantations.